Paint can adapter for handheld spray device

ABSTRACT

An adapter allows direct connection of a handheld spray device to paint cans of varying dimensions. The adapter includes a cage for holding the paint can, a cap that connects the cage to the handheld spray device, and a gasket that seals the open upper end of the paint can to the cap. The adapter may also include a suction tube extension that is connectable between the pump inlet and the suction tube of the spray device. A can spacer insert is positionable in the cage to elevate paint cans of varying heights so that the upper ring of the paint can engages the gasket.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/527,845 which is a continuation-in-part of International ApplicationNo. PCT/US2014/037244 filed May 8, 2014. This application claimspriority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/820,943, filedMay 8, 2013, entitled INDUSTRY STANDARD PAINT CONTAINER ADAPTER TO HANDHELD SPRAY DEVICE, which is incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Paint sprayers are well-known and popular for use in painting surfaces,such as architectural structures, furniture, and the like. For smallerjobs, which use a limited amount of paint, handheld spray devices areparticularly advantageous. A handheld spray device includes a reservoir,typically in the form of a cup that is filled with paint and attached tothe spray device. The overall weight of the spray device and the paintwithin the reservoir is small enough to allow the user to hold andorient the spray device in a variety of different directions in order toapply paint that is needed.

Paint is typically sold in paint containers (e.g., metal cans) inseveral industry standard sizes (volumes), which vary throughout theworld. For example, in the United States, one common industry standardpaint container size is one quart. In Europe, a common industry standardcontainer size for paint is one liter.

Although industry standard paint container sizes exist, and the typicalshape of the container is a cylindrical metal can with a friction fitlid, the dimensions of the paint container cans vary from manufacturerto manufacturer. For example, one liter paint cans may vary from about4.2 to 4.4 inches in outer diameter and from about 5.0 inches to 5.7inches in height. Similar variations exist for one quart metal paintcans.

Users of handheld paint sprayers have typically been required to pourpaint from the paint can in which the paint was sold into the cup orreservoir that fits with the particular handheld spray device. When apaint job is completed, the reservoir is detached from the paint sprayerand any unused paint must be poured back into the paint can. Each time ajob is completed, the reservoir must be emptied and cleaned, so that itwill be ready for the next job.

SUMMARY

An adapter allows a paint can to act as a reservoir for a handheld spraydevice. The adapter connects and seals an open paint can to the handheldspray device so that paint from the paint can is supplied to an inlet ofthe handheld spray device. The gasket is positioned within the cap andengages the open upper end of the paint can to the cap.

In some embodiments, a can spacer insert is positionable in the cage toelevate the paint can so that the upper ring of the paint can engagesthe gasket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are a side elevational view and cross-sectional view,respectively, of a handheld spray device and an adapter for directlyconnecting a paint can to the paint spray device.

FIG. 2A-2C are sectional views of the handheld spray device and adapterof FIGS. 1A and 1B with paint cans of different dimensions.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the adapter.

FIGS. 4A-4I illustrate steps performed in connecting a paint can to thehandheld spray device using the adapter.

FIGS. 5A-5C are views of the cap of the adapter.

FIGS. 6A-6D are views of the cage of the adapter.

FIGS. 7A-7B are views of the gasket of the adapter.

FIGS. 8A-8D are views of a suction tube extension for use with theadapter.

FIG. 9A is a perspective view of a spacer insert for use with theadapter.

FIG. 9B is a top view of the spacer insert.

FIG. 9C is a side view of the spacer insert.

FIG. 9D is a bottom view of the spacer insert.

FIG. 9E is a sectional view along section 9E-9E of FIG. 9C.

FIG. 10A is an exploded view showing a paint can, the spacer insert, andthe cage, with the spacer insert oriented for use with paint cans of afirst height range.

FIG. 10B is an exploded view showing a paint can, the spacer insert, andthe cage, with the spacer insert oriented for use with paint cans of asecond height range.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1A and 1B show a side view and a cross-sectional view,respectively, of handheld spray gun 10, paint can 12, and paint canadapter 14. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, handheld spray gun 10 isan airless spray gun of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,596,555, whichis incorporated by reference.

The paint that is dispensed by sprayer gun 10 is supplied from paint can12. Adapter 14 allows direct connection of industry standard paintcontainers of varying dimension (for example, one liter or one quartmetal cans with a friction fit lid) to handheld spray devices (such ashandheld airless spray gun 10 or other handheld spray devices such ashigh volume low pressure (HVLP) sprayers, air spray sprayers, and cuptype spray guns) for spraying/dispensing without required use of asecondary container. The end user may thereby easily spray/dispensecoatings from the original labeled paint container while using ahandheld spray/dispensing device.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, spray gun 10 includeshousing 20, handle 22, trigger 24, battery port 26, pressure reliefvalve 28, spray tip assembly 30, and lid 32. Battery 34, which isattachable to battery port 26, provides electrical power used to operatespray gun 10. Spray tip assembly 30 includes connector 36, spray tip 38,and guard 40.

As shown in FIG. 1B, drive system 42 and pumping mechanism 44 arelocated within housing 20. Drive system 42 includes electric motor 46,gear train 48, and wobble plate 50 to the pistons of pump mechanism 44.Pump inlet 52 at the lower end of pump mechanism 44 extends through lid32 and connects to suction tube 54 at outlet end 56. Suction tube 54extends generally downward into adapter 14 and into the interior ofpaint can 12, so that inlet end 58 of suction tube 54 is positioned nearthe bottom end of can 12.

Adapter 14 includes cage 60, cap 62, and gasket 64. Cage 60 is sized tohold paint cans of a particular industry standard size, such as oneliter or one quart. Depending on the particular paint manufacturer, can12 may have the industry standard size (i.e., volume) while the diameterand height of can 12 can vary. Adapter 14 accommodates the potentialvariations in both diameter and height of can 12.

When can 12 is positioned within cage 60, as shown in FIG. 1B and thecan lid (not shown) of can 12 is removed, cap 62 is threaded onto theupper end of cage 60 until gasket 64 seals the upper end of can 12 tocap 62. Adapter 14 along with can 12 can then be attached to spray gun10 by threading cap 62 into lid 32, which is an integral part of housing20.

Once adapter 14 is connected to spray gun 10, paint from can 12 can besprayed by gun 10 by actuation of trigger 24. When trigger 24 isactuated, electrical power from battery 34 is supplied to electric motor46, which drives wobble plate 50 through gear train 48. Motion of wobbleplate 50 drives the pistons of pump mechanism 44. As a result, paint isdrawn from the interior of can 12 through suction tube 54 and pump inlet52 into pumping mechanism 44. Pressurized paint from pumping mechanism44 is delivered to spray tip assembly 30, which produces a highlyatomized flow of paint out of spray tip 38. Tip guard 40 preventsobjects from contacting the high velocity output of fluid from spray tip38.

FIGS. 2A-2C are cross-sectional views of handheld spray gun 10 andadapter 14 used with cans 12A-12C that have different dimensions thancan 12 shown in FIG. 1B. In FIGS. 2A-2C, elements similar to those shownin FIGS. 1A and 1B are labeled with similar reference numerals.

In FIG. 2A, can 12A has a height which is similar to the height of can12 in FIG. 1B. The diameter of can 12A, however, is smaller than thediameter of can 12. As shown in FIGS. 1B and 2A, the height of cans 12and 12A is such that cap 62 is threaded onto cage 60 to nearly the fullextent allowed by the respective threads on cage 60 and cap 62. In bothFIGS. 1B and 2A, the upper ends of cans 12 and 12A is sealed by gasket64 to cap 62. Although the diameter of can 12A is smaller, the centralapertures of cap 62 and gasket 64 have diameters that are small enoughto still provide a seal of can 12A, while providing sufficient clearanceto allow suction tube 54 to extend into can 12A.

FIGS. 2B and 2C show cans 12B and 12C, respectively. Cans 12B and 12Care taller than cans 12 and 12A shown in FIGS. 1B and 2A, respectively.As a result, cap 62 is not threaded as far downward on the upper end ofcage 60 in FIGS. 2B and 2C, as compared to FIGS. 1B and 2A.

There is another difference shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C resulting from thegreater height of cans 12B and 12C. Adapter 14 also includes, in FIGS.2B and 2C, suction tube extension 66, which is inserted between pumpinlet 52 and suction tube outlet 56. The upper end of extension 66 fitson the lower end of pump inlet 52. The lower end of extension 66 extendsinto the upper end of suction tube outlet 56. The addition of extension66 shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C allows inlet end 58 of suction tube 54 to bepositioned near the lower end of cans 12B and 12C.

The diameter of can 12C shown in FIG. 2C is smaller than the diameter ofcan 12B, shown in FIG. 2B. Despite the variation in can diameter, gasket64 still provides a seal between the upper end of cans 12B and 12C andcap 62.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of adapter 14, showing cage 60, cap 62,gasket 64, suction tube extension 66, and O-ring 68, which mounts onextension 66. As seen in FIG. 3, cage 60 includes mounting aperture 70for receiving and holding extension 66 when adapter 14 is not in use. Atwist lock connection is provided between cage 60 and extension 66 byaperture 70 and mating portions of extension 66.

FIGS. 4A-4I illustrate how adapter 14 is used to provide a directconnection between paint can 12B (shown in FIG. 2B) and handheld spraygun 10. In FIG. 4A, cup C is disconnected from lid 32 of handheld spraygun 10. Cup C is a typical cup used as a reservoir for holding paint,and is connected by external thread 72 to internal thread 74 of lid 32.In FIG. 2B, cup C has been removed. Suction tube 54 is being removed bytwisting back and forth and pulling on suction tube 54 to remove it frompump inlet 52 (shown in FIGS. 1B, 2A-2C, and 4B.

In FIG. 4C, suction tube extension 66 is removed from cage 60 bytwisting a quarter turn and removing upward from aperture 70. Suctiontube extension 66 must be removed before cage 60 can receive and hold apaint can.

In FIG. 4D, lid 32 (and spray gun 10) are inverted so that pump inlet 52is extending upward. Extension 66 is inserted onto pump inlet 52. Detentor notch 76 of extension 66 is aligned with orientation lug 78 of pumpinlet 52 to ensure a consistent placement of extension 66 with respectto pump inlet 52. In some cases, as illustrated in FIGS. 1B and 2A, useof extension 66 is not required.

In FIG. 4E, lid 32 remains in an inverted position. Suction tube 54 isconnected to extension 66 by inserting outlet end 56 onto extension 66.

In FIG. 4F, paint can 12B is inserted downward into cage 60. Can lid 80covers the top end of can 12B in FIG. 4F.

In FIG. 4G, can 12B is in place within cage 60. Can lid 80 is removed sothat the top end of can 12B is open.

In FIG. 4H, cap 62 is threaded onto the upper end of cage 60. Cap 62will be rotated in a clockwise direction shown in FIG. 4H until gasket64 (not shown) seals with the upper end of can 12B.

In FIG. 4I, adapter 14 is attached to lid 32 of handheld spray gun 10.External threads 82 at the upper end of cap 62 engage internal threads74 of lid 32. Adapter 14 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction toengage threads 82 with threads 74. Once adapter 14 is connected to lid32, handheld spray gun 10 is ready for use.

After spraying has been completed, the process shown in FIGS. 4A-4I isreversed. Adapter 14 is detached from handheld spray gun 10 by rotatingadapter 14 in a clockwise direction. Once adapter 14 is disconnectedfrom spray gun 10, cap 62 can be removed from cage 60, can lid 80 can beplaced on the top end of can 12B, and can 12B can be removed from cage60.

Clean up can be performed using cup C filled with water or otherappropriate solvent. Suction tube 54 can be inserted into the water incup C and spray gun 10 can be operated to flush water through suctiontube 54, extension 66, pump inlet 52, pumping mechanism 44, and spraytip mechanism 30 to clean the components that were in contact with thepaint. Suction tube 54 can then be disconnected from extension 66, sothat extension 66 can be removed and re-stowed within cage 60 of adapter14. Suction tube 54 can then be reattached to pump inlet 52, and cup C(after any remaining water has been removed) can be reattached to lid32.

FIGS. 5A-5C show cover 62 of adapter 14 in further detail. FIG. 5A is atop view, FIG. 5B is a front view, and FIG. 5C is a sectional view alongsection 5C-5C of FIG. 5A.

Cover 62 includes top 84, cylindrical sidewall or skirt 86 and neck 88.Top 84 includes center aperture 90, through which suction tube 54 isinserted. Sidewall 86 has vertical ribs 92 on its outer surface andinternal threads 94 on its inner surface. External threads 82 arelocated on the outer surface of neck 88.

FIGS. 6A-6D show views of cage 60. FIG. 6A is a front view, 6B is abottom view, FIG. 6C is a sectional view along section 6C-6C of FIG. 6A,and FIG. 6D is a detail view of detail 6D in FIG. 6C.

Cage 60 includes cylindrical sidewall 100 with windows or apertures 102,closed bottom 104, and opened top 106. External threads 108 are locatedat the upper end of sidewall 100. Ribs 110 are located at the bottom endof sidewall 100.

Mounting hole 70 for extension 66 is located in bottom 104. Arcuateflanges 112 with ramps 114 and stops 116 provide a locking mechanism tohold extension 66 in place.

A quarter turn (90 degrees) of extension 66 in one direction will lockextension 66 in place. Rotation by a quarter turn (90 degrees) in theopposite direction will release extension 66 from being held in place byarcuate flanges 112 so that extension 66 can be removed from cage 60when adapter 14 is to be used.

As shown in FIGS. 2A-2C and in FIGS. 5C and 6A, external threads 108 oncage 60 are shorter than internal threads 94 of cap 62. This allows cap62 to be threaded onto cage 60 to different extents, depending upon theheight of the paint can that has been placed in cage 60.

In one embodiment, cage 60 and cap 62 are made of high impact strengthpolypropylene. This provides impact strength for adapter 14 and alsoprovides resistance to solvents that may be present in some of thematerials that can be sprayed.

FIGS. 7A and 7B show gasket 64. FIG. 7A is a top view, and FIG. 7B is aside view of gasket 64. Gasket 64 is a flat ring of resilient foammaterial such as crosslinked polyethylene foam. The foam material is aclosed cell foam, so that paint that contacts gasket 64 will not beabsorbed into gasket 64.

Gasket 64 includes central aperture 120, which is typically of the samediameter as aperture 90 in cap 62. Along the outer edge of gasket 64 aretabs 122, which will engage internal threads 94 of cap 62 to hold gasket64 in place against the inner surface of top 84 of cap 62. In oneembodiment, gasket 64 has a thickness of about 0.25 inches.

FIGS. 8A-8D show suction tube extension 66, which is used in order toensure that inlet end 58 of suction tube 54 will be positioned near thebottom of the paint can. FIG. 8A is a perspective view, FIG. 8B is a topview, FIG. 8C is a front view, and FIG. 8D is a sectional view alongsection 8D-8D of FIG. 8C. As shown in FIGS. 8A-8C, extension 66 isoriented as it will be when it is to be attached to pump inlet 52 ofspray gun 10. When extension 66 is to be stored in cage 60, it is in aninverted orientation.

As shown in FIGS. 8A-8D, extension 66 is formed by unitary plasticmolded body 130 at upper section 132 and lower section 134. Uppersection 132 includes upper bore 136, upper rim 138, flange 140, fingers142, wings 144, handle 146, and V-shaped orientation lug 148. V-shapeddetent 76 is located in rim 138. Lower section 134 with lower bore 150that connects to upper bore 136 and annular grooves 152 which holdO-rings 68 shown in FIG. 3.

When extension 66 is in use, upper bore 136 receives the lower end ofpump inlet 52. Detent 76 receives orientation lug 78 of pump inlet 52,as shown in FIG. 4D. Lower section 134 is inserted into outlet end 56 ofsuction tube 54. Orientation lug 148 mates with a corresponding detentin outlet end 56 of suction tube 54. Detent 76 and lug 148 of extension66 are aligned, so that the desired orientation of suction tube 54 withrespect to pump inlet 52 is maintained when extension 66 is placedbetween pump inlet 52 and suction tube 54.

When extension 66 is to be stored in cage 60, flange 140 and fingers 142are placed into mounting hole 70 in cage 60. Flange 140 fits into onegap between flanges 112, and fingers 142 fit into the opposite gapbetween flanges 112 in cage 60. A quarter turn of extension 66 withrespect to cage 60 causes flange 140 to ride up over one ramp 114 andinto engagement with one flange 112, while fingers 142 ride over theother ramp 114 and onto the other flange 112. Stops 116 prevent furtherrotation of extension 66. When extension 66 is to be removed, it isrotated in the opposite direction by 90 degrees, and then can be liftedout of mounting aperture 70 and removed from cage 60.

Adapter 14 allows direct connection of industry standard paintcontainers such as paint cans to handheld spray devices. Althoughadapter 14 has been described in conjunction with an airless handheldspray device, other handheld spray devices can also be used inconjunction with adapter 14. This allows the end user to easily sprayand dispense coatings from the original labeled containers, rather thanrequiring the use of a secondary container and the associated pouring ofpaint from one container to another.

In order to accommodate paint cans of varying dimensions, severalparameters should be considered. First, the inner diameter of cage 60should be at least as large as the largest outer diameter of the varietyof containers with which it will be used. Second, the inner containerreceiving height of cage 60 should be no higher than the shortest of thevariety of containers with which it will be used without a spacerinsert. This is required so that cap 62 and gasket 64 will be allowed toengage and seal to the top end of the paint can. Third, the threadsconnecting cage 60 and cap 62 must extend axially a sufficient distanceto allow engagement while accommodating containers of varying height.

The dimensions of paint container cans vary frommanufacturer-to-manufacturer, and may also vary from country-to-country.The threaded connection between cage 60 and cap 62 allow adapter 14 toaccommodate containers of varying heights. FIGS. 9A-9E show spacerinsert 200, which can be used to extend the range of can heights thatcan be accommodated by adapter 14. Spacer insert 200 can be positionedat the bottom of cage 60 to raise cans of short height so that theopened upper end of a paint can will engage gasket 64. In the embodimentshown in FIGS. 9A-9E, spacer insert 200 can be mounted in two differentorientations within cage 60 to act as a platform or shim for twodifferent height ranges of paint cans.

Spacer insert 200 includes cylindrical sidewall 202 having bottom end204 and top end 206, and shelf 208, which extends radially inward fromsidewall 202 to central aperture 210. Shelf 208 defines first cansupport surface 212 (with outer ring 212A adjacent sidewall 202 andinner ring 212B adjacent outer ring 212A) and second can support surface214 (with outer ring 214A adjacent sidewall 202 and inner ring 214Badjacent outer ring 214A).

Shelf 208 is located closer to lower end 204 than upper end 206 ofsidewall 202. As a result, spacer insert 200 can provide two differentplatform height ranges for supporting a paint can, depending uponwhether insert 200 is in the position shown in FIGS. 9A-9E, or isinverted.

First support surface 212 of shelf 208 includes label 216, whichincludes an indication of the range of can heights that are to besupported on first support surface 212. In this particular embodiment,the range of can heights is 10 to 12 cm.

Similarly, second support surface 214 includes label 218, which includesan indication of another range of can heights that are to be supportedby can support surface 214. In this example, the can heights associatedwith support surface 214 are in a range of 8 to 10 cm. Labels 216 and218 may be adhesively attached to surfaces 212 and 214, the label may beprinted onto surfaces 212 and 214, or may be formed as part of a moldingprocess that creates insert 200.

Inner rings 212B and 214B are recessed with respect to outer rings 212Aand 214A, respectively. As a result, shoulder 212C is formed betweenrings 212A and 212B, and shoulder 214C is formed between rings 214A and214B. Outer rings 212A and 214A support larger outer diameter paintcans, while inner rings 212B and 214B support smaller outer diameterpaint cans. Shoulders 212C and 214C keep smaller outer diameter paintcans centered within cage 60, so that the upper ends of the smallerdiameter paint cans will seal properly with gasket 64.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9A-9E, upper end 206 of insert 200 iscastellated. Four tabs (or castellations) 220 extend upward when insert200 is oriented as shown in FIGS. 9A-9E.

Aperture 210 in floor 208 is sized so that insert 200 can be positionedat the bottom of cage 60 for storage, with extension 66 also mounted atthe bottom of cage 60 for storage purposes. Extension 66 extends upwardthrough aperture 210 when adapter 14 is not in use.

FIGS. 10A and 10B show two different orientations of adapter 200, foruse with two different can height ranges. In FIG. 10A, insert 200 isoriented so that tabs 220 extend upward. In this orientation, paint can12D will be positioned within cage 60 with the bottom of can 12D restingon support surface 212 of floor 208.

In FIG. 10B, insert 200 has been inverted from the orientation shown inFIG. 10A. Tabs 220 face downward, and support surface 214 faces upward.The bottom of paint can 12E will rest on support surface 214 of insert200, with can 12E and insert 200 both positioned within cage 60. In FIG.10A, the platform height provided by insert 200 to elevate can 12D isbased upon the distance between the bottom edge of bottom section 204 ofadapter 200 and support surface 212. In FIG. 10B, the platform heightprovided to support can 12E based upon the distance between the endsurfaces of tabs 220 and support surface 214.

The use of adapter 14 provides a number of advantages. Easy, reliable,and sealed connection of standard industry paint cans and containers ofvarying dimensions to spray devices is achieved. Easy change and storageof multiple paint colors can be achieved. The use of the paint can asthe reservoir eliminates the need for cleaning a secondary containerafter every paint job. The open sided cage allows spraying/dispensing ofpaints in their originally labeled containers and allows the exterior ofthe container to be viewed by the user for convenient identification ofthe type/color of material currently connected to the sprayer. With theuse of adapter 14, including insert 200, the vast majority of paint canson the market in North America and Europe are compatible with a handheldspray gun.

While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplaryembodiment(s), it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted forelements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. Inaddition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situationor material to the teachings of the invention without departing from theessential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the inventionnot be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed, but that theinvention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of theappended claims. For example, although the attachment of adapter 14 tospray gun 10 and the attachment of cap 62 to cage 60 are shown asthreaded connections, other forms of connection systems can be used toreliably attach and seal a standard paint container (paint can) to ahandheld paint spray device.

While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplaryembodiment(s), it will be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted forelements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. Inaddition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situationor material to the teachings of the invention without departing from theessential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the inventionnot be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed, but that theinvention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of theappended claims.

1. An adapter for connecting a paint can to a pump inlet of a handheldspray device, the adapter comprising: a cage for holding an open paintcan, the cage comprising a sidewall, a bottom at a lower end, and anopen top at an upper end; a connector for connecting the cage and openpaint can to the handheld spray device; a gasket for forming a seal withan upper end of the open paint can; a cap mountable on the upper end ofthe cage and carrying the connector and the gasket; a suction tube; anda suction tube extension connectable between the pump inlet and anoutlet end of the suction tube.
 2. The adapter of claim 1, wherein thebottom of the cage includes a mount aperture for receiving and holdingthe suction tube extension when the adapter is not in use.
 3. Theadapter of claim 1, wherein the cap includes a neck and wherein theconnector comprises threads on the neck for engaging threads on thehandheld spray device, and wherein the cage includes external threads atthe upper end of the cage, and the cap includes internal threads forengaging the external threads of the cage to mount the cap on the upperend of the cage.
 4. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the suction tubeextension includes each upper section configured to receive a lower endof the pump inlet and a lower section conjured to insert into the outletend of the suction tube.
 5. An adapter for connecting a paint can to aninlet of a handheld spray device, the adapter comprising: a cage forholding an open paint can, the cage having a sidewall, a bottom at alower end, and an open top at an upper end; a connector for connectingthe cage and open paint can to the handheld spray device; a capmountable on the upper end of the cage; a gasket for forming a seal withan upper end of the open paint can; and a can spacer insert forpositioning on the bottom of the cage to support a bottom end of thepaint can at spaced distance above the bottom of the cage.
 6. Theadapter of claim 5, wherein the can spacer insert comprises: acylindrical body having an open first end and an open second end; and ashelf positioned within the cylindrical body at a location between theopen first end and the open second end.
 7. The adapter of claim 6,wherein the shelf is positioned within the cylindrical body closer tothe open second end than the open first end.
 8. The adapter of claim 7,wherein the shelf has a first support surface and a second supportsurface.
 9. The adapter of claim 8, wherein the first support surfaceincludes an outer ring adjacent the cylindrical body and an inner ringadjacent the outer ring.
 10. The adapter of claim 9, wherein the innerring is recessed with respect to the outer ring.
 11. The adapter ofclaim 10, wherein the second support surface includes an outer ringadjacent the cylindrical body and an inner ring adjacent the outer ring.12. The adapter of claim 8, wherein the inner ring of the second supportsurface is recessed with respect to the outer ring of the second supportsurface.
 13. The adapter of claim 8, wherein the first support surfacecarries a first label identifying a height range of paint canssupportable by the first support surface; and wherein the second supportsurface carries a second label identifying a height range of paint canssupportable by the second support surface.
 14. The adapter of claim 5,wherein the open first end is castellated.
 15. A paint spraying systemcomprising: a handheld spray device having an inlet for receiving paintto be sprayed; and an adapter that connects and seals an open paint canto the handheld spray device so that paint from the paint can issupplied to the inlet, wherein the adapter comprises: a cage for holdingan open paint can, the cage comprising a sidewall, a bottom at a lowerend, and an open top at an upper end; a cap mounted on the upper end ofthe cage for connecting the cage and the paint can to the handheld spraydevice so that a suction tube extends from the inlet through the cap andinto the open paint can; a gasket positioned within the cap for sealingan upper ring of the paint can to the cap; and a can spacer insert forpositioning on the bottom of the cage to elevate the paint can withrespect to the bottom so that the upper ring of the paint can engagesthe gasket.
 16. The system of claim 15 wherein the can spacer insertcomprises: a cylindrical body having an open first end, an open secondend; and a shelf positioned within the cylindrical body at a locationbetween the open first end and the open second end.
 17. The system ofclaim 16, wherein the shelf is positioned within the cylindrical bodycloser to the open second end than the open first end.
 18. The system ofclaim 17, wherein the shelf has a first support surface and a secondsupport surface, wherein the first support surface includes an outerring adjacent the cylindrical body and an inner ring adjacent the outerring, and wherein the second support surface includes an outer ringadjacent the cylindrical body and an inner ring adjacent the outer ring.19. The system of claim 18, wherein the inner ring of the first supportsurface is recessed with respect to the outer ring, and wherein theinner ring of the second support surface is recessed with respect to theouter ring of the second support surface.
 20. The system of claim 19,wherein the first support surface carries a first label identifying aheight range of paint cans supportable by the first support surface, andwherein the second support surface carries a second label identifying aheight range of paint cans supportable by the second support surface.